Yasiel Puig's late-to-opening-day work ethic a non-starter for Dodgers

Dodgers starter Hyun Jin-Ryu looks down while trailing 8-0 to the San Francisco Giants in the second inning of the Dodgers' home opener. Ryu was pulled after giving up eight runs in two innings of work as the Dodgers went on to lose, 8-4.

Dodgers starter Hyun Jin-Ryu looks down while trailing 8-0 to the San Francisco Giants in the second inning of the Dodgers' home opener. Ryu was pulled after giving up eight runs in two innings of work as the Dodgers went on to lose, 8-4. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

A giant U.S. flag covers the outfield at Dodger Stadium during a pregame ceremony at the Dodgers' home opener against the San Francisco Giants photographed from the Goodyear Blimp.

A giant U.S. flag covers the outfield at Dodger Stadium during a pregame ceremony at the Dodgers' home opener against the San Francisco Giants photographed from the Goodyear Blimp. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Missing a cutoff man is one thing, missing the start of your workday is another. He didn't run into an out in the ninth inning, he walked into a clubhouse a full two hours after most of his more earnest teammates had already showed up. This wasn't some cricket field in Australia, it was Dodger Stadium during the team's most celebrated home game of the regular season.

When does youthful carelessness become arrogant insouciance? When does one kid's growing pains become a throbbing ache that affects an entire clubhouse? And when will Puig's defenders realize these are not the old-school rantings of some stodgy sportswriter, but the fears of the entire Dodgers organization?

For one of the first times Friday, Manager Don Mattingly showed the depth of those fears in his willingness to sacrifice his lineup card for a lesson in accountability.

"It's just a situation where he was late today and, at that point, I just couldn't play him,'' Mattingly said afterward.

This was the second time in Puig's 10-month major league career he has been benched at the start of a game for disciplinary reasons. Yet last season in Miami, Mattingly eventually inserted him as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, Puig's homer won the game, and the lesson was lost. Puig was given no such forgiveness this time, as he never appeared close to being used as a pinch-hitter, even though Mattingly kindly claimed otherwise.

"If we get enough guys on, I would have used Yasiel today, that wasn't even a question," said Mattingly. "He felt bad he wasn't here, I truly believe that.''

Puig stepped on to the field about 10:25 for batting practice that began with stretching at 9:40 a.m. Puig said he thought the pregame workout started later, implying he didn't receive the scheduling text the team sent to everyone.

Once here, Puig was subjected to a pregame lesson from Adrian Gonzalez, playful ribbing from Chone Figgins in the dugout, and later sharp questioning from media members who swarmed his locker while he quietly apologized to teammates and Dodgers fans.

Again.

"It's my fault, it's not anyone else's fault," said Puig in Spanish, his hands tucked behind his back and his head bowed. "I didn't play because I was late.… I ask [Mattingly] and my teammates for forgiveness…. I also want to apologize to the fans."

Gonzalez, who purposely has a locker next to Puig in hopes that the kid can learn form his veteran presence, said there's only one way to tell whether Puig is truly sorry.

"It's not about apologizing to us, it's about getting here on time," said Gonzalez. "That's where you show you really meant it. You show up late again, it means you didn't mean it. It's not about what he says, it's about what he does."

When asked whether he offered any specific advice, Gonzalez smiled and said, "Yeah, get ... here on time."

Puig's sudden absence seemingly affected the play of the man who replaced him, with Matt Kemp in the middle of the trouble as the Giants took an 8-0 lead in the first two innings. Kemp was initially and angrily on the bench despite being activated from the disabled list. Suddenly thrust back into the lineup, Kemp botched a single from Mike Morse in the first inning, leading to one of the runs. He then missed the ball on a running, leaping attempted catch of a liner from Brandon Hicks in the second inning, leading to another run.

"If you're not in the lineup, you're supposed to be mad,'' said Kemp of his initial attitude.

And then when he was suddenly pushed into the game, in a moment so emotional his mother later hugged him and cried?

"I'm sure it was a little bit of a distraction,'' said Mattingly

After Kemp missed the fly ball, fans began chanting, "We want Puig ... we want Puig.'' But at this point, finally, the voices of those who want to educate Puig are louder than those who want to continue to enable him.

"I support the manager's decision, the manager tells a player to be there on time, its his discretion not to start him, whether it's opening day or the playoffs or any other day,'' said Bobby Patton, one of the Dodgers co-owners who frequently flies here from his Fort Worth, Texas, home to watch his team play. "I'm sorry for the fans, I'm sorry for myself, I came a long way to watch him myself ... but if that's what the manager thinks, that's what we need to do.''

Puig should be back in the lineup Saturday afternoon against Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Stretching is at 10:05 a.m. It's written right there on the greaseboard next to Yasiel Puig's locker.

The Chicago Cubs on Tuesday sought City Hall permission to expand construction hours at Wrigley Field, with bleacher work falling well behind schedule on the team's $375 million ballpark renovation project.